Chapter 68: The Emotional Card
Jonathan had been able to find Dickson; so, naturally, he knew who had taken him. Understanding what she wanted to do, Jonathan said, “I’ll handle this. Stay out of it.”
Sierra shook her head. “No, don’t get involved. This has nothing to do with you.”
“What do you mean? So, only you’re allowed to stand up for what’s right?” Jonathan’s tone was teasing, but there wasn’t a hint of amusement in his eyes. He was irritated, and this feeling was unfamiliar to him. On the surface, he seemed mild-mannered, but in truth, he was a cold and indifferent person.
Had Sierra not stepped in, he wouldn’t have cared about Dickson’s situation. He wouldn’t have even given it a second thought. He had seen too much of this kind of thing. To him, people like Dickson were no different from ants. And divines didn’t concern themselves with the lives of ants. After all, ants weren’t even worth noticing.
Sierra knew none of this. She simply didn’t want Jonathan to get too involved. To her, Jonathan was someone who should be entirely devoted to research, pouring all his energy into academia. She didn’t want his life to change because of this.
“Mr. Yeager, I don’t want you to be involved!”
It was all too…filthy. Understanding the unspoken meaning behind Sierra’s words, Jonathan wanted to laugh but found that he couldn’t. He only felt mocked. This clueless girl actually thinks I’m a good person. How ridiculous.
A mischievous thought crossed his mind. Should I tell Sierra the truth and let her see what kind of person I really am?
Just then, Sierra’s phone suddenly rang. Seeing the familiar caller ID, her expression turned cold. She answered, and Bradley’s voice came through the line. “Sierra?”
Bradley seemed surprised that she had picked up so quickly. After a brief pause, he said, “Can you come back? We have something to discuss with you.”
“Have you made up your mind? Are you agreeing to the conditions I proposed that day?”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Bradley finally replied, “Yes. We’ll talk when you get here.”
With that, he hung up in a hurry.
Listening to the dial tone, Sierra curled her lips into a smirk, her smile growing wider. She waved her phone at Jonathan and said with a grin, “See? I told you they’d agree.”
Jonathan found her smile unsettling. Unable to hold back, he said, “If you don’t want to smile, then don’t.”
Sierra’s expression stiffened for a moment before she replied, “I really am happy.” She had long predicted what choice the Xander family would make. She was never fooled by the façade they had put up before. She knew that when true danger arose, she would always be the one abandoned.
She quickly checked in with the doctors and nurses, asking them to keep an eye on Dickson. Then she went to Lily’s room to tell her about Dickson, asking her to check on him later.
Once everything was settled, she took a deep breath and turned to Jonathan. “Mr. Yeager, I have to go back now. I’ve troubled you these past few days. Once everything is resolved, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
With that, she turned to leave. Jonathan watched her for a moment before following after her, saying flatly, “I’ll take you back.” Sierra didn’t refuse.
After dropping her off at the Xander Residence, Jonathan didn’t leave immediately. He sat in the car for a long time before making a call. “There’s a change of plans. I won’t be coming back for a while. Help me and handle the daily affairs. Also, look into someone. Her name is Sierra…”
He suddenly paused and added, “Forget it. Don’t bother.”
After hanging up, he glanced at the Xander Residence one last time before driving away.
Inside, the entire Xander family was present. As Sierra stepped through the door, all eyes turned to her. Seeing this, Sierra smiled. “Looks like you’ve made your decision. Let’s begin.”
“Sierra!” Eleanor couldn’t help but stand up, as if wanting to say something, but Sierra raised a hand to stop her. “Madam Xander, there’s no need to play the emotional card now. At this point, we’re just two parties in a business transaction. Playing on emotions is no longer appropriate.”
Eleanor was at a loss for words, stung by Sierra’s response. She looked at this unfamiliar daughter and felt an ache in her heart. Back then, when she learned that Sierra had suffered outside, she had wanted to bring her home and take care of her, but no one could have predicted that things would turn out like this. She genuinely wanted to treat her well, but Denise was the daughter she had raised herself. With Denise’s fragile health, Sierra gradually faded into the background.